Sharee's Sentiments

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Josi's ability to bring stories to life is magic! I was drawn into Miss Wilton's Waltz right from the beginning. Her characters are well-rounded and relatable. This delightful read takes you back to a simpler time.

Propriety and social grace are an important part of life. Lenora is shy but gifted in music. She moves to a new city to live with her aunt and teach music hoping to leave her past behind. This may be just what she needs to move on with her life and finding love amidst opposition is something she least expects.

Friday, February 23, 2018

I’ve always loved telling stories. I tried to write my
first novel when I was twelve years old, but it wasn’t until after a mission,
marriage, two moves, four children, and finally earning my degree that I
decided I wanted to be an author. My younger sister encouraged me to
participate in National Novel Writing Month in 2013, and the rest is history.

2. Who has influenced
your writing the most?

I don’t know that any one writer has influenced me “the
most.” Everything I’ve read has influenced me in some way. Growing up, I read a
lot of classics—heavy on the Jane Austen. But I also dabbled in science
fiction. I loved Isaac Asimov. Later, I got into thrillers. Dan Brown is one of
my favorites. If you swirl all of that together, you get a techno-thriller
with romantic elements. Poof.

3. What is your
favorite part of the writing process and why?

This is going to sound crazy, but I love the re-writing
phase. I’m a pantser, so I usually have a lot of weeding to do in my
garden. I love taking the mess I’ve created and turning it into something
beautiful.

4. What is your
favorite book?

I love Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. For me, it’s
perfectly paced and an amazing blend of mystery and romance. Brontë’s
characters are relatable, and she understand how to build tension.

5. What attributes do
you most give your characters and why?

I tend to give my characters “flaws” that I wish I
had. The main character in Eruption and Reclamation is a little bit OCD.
Her obsessions stem from something that happened in the past that she can’t
remember. Sometimes I wish that the skeletons in my closet would motivate me to
clean instead of eat obsessively.

In my current work in progress, the main character passes
quick judgement on others. This isn’t an attribute I admire. It’s
something I’m trying to overcome along with my main character.

6. What helps you be
a better writer?

Critical feedback is key to becoming a better writer.
Whether I’m giving it or receiving it, feedback forces my creative brain to be
more analytical. You have to be able to think as both a writer and a reader.

7. What are your ten
most favorite things?

In no particular order:

Vacations with my family

The smell of rain

Beaches

Snapdragons

Black and white movies

Reading

Creamed spinach (no, seriously it’s delicious)

Drinking water

Snuggling my kids and my dog

Date night with my husband

8. You have two
techno-thrillers published, tell us about your most interesting character in
each book?

I love Jace’s dad in Eruption. He’s a presence looming in
the background from the beginning, but we don’t understand his full role in the
mystery until near the end. He’s a very three-dimensional character to me
and his relationship with Jace is based on my relationship with my own father.

In Reclamation, Mirlande is an interesting character.
Because of the time travel, we have to wonder about her existence before and
after her interaction with Jace. In a lot of ways, I think she is what Jace
wants to be: a fearless, bold fighter.

9. Can you tell us
why the first page of any story is so important?

Every page of a story is important, but the first page is
paramount. It should tell the reader exactly what to expect. It makes
promises that then must be delivered on. Many writers stress about creating
something that is new or different when really the reader is just looking for
something that is exciting and delivers as expected.

10. Do you have any advice for
aspiring writers?

Keep reading and keep writing. There’s really no
other way to get to where you want to go.

Author Bio:

Adrienne Quintana is the author of Eruption as well as several
children’s books. When she isn't writing, Adrienne enjoys running, hiking, and
matchmaking (Are you single? She probably knows someone perfect for you.) She
lives in Arizona with her husband and four children, who give her love,
support, and plenty of good material for Instagram.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

A phenomenon of nature, change is constantly upon us. It happens for most of us a little at a time; just as the leaves turn from green to yellow-green, to gold and then to red; changing a little bit each day. One tree can have leaves with several different colors all on the same branch!

Early autumn in Brigham City, UT

As the trees make their final change the leaves begin to fall to the ground. This change prepares the trees for winter, a rest of sorts, and then comes an awakening in the spring.

It doesn’t happen all at once. During the seemingly dormant winter, the trees are still getting moisture from the earth. Gradually tiny buds of leaves form on the trees and beautiful blossoms appear as each tree awakens.

There are trees, however, that don’t seem to have such visible and outward changes—the Evergreen tree. No matter the season, its needles are forever green; a constant through all the seasons of change.

Colors of autumn in the canyon North-East of Inspiration Point near Willard, UT

Our lives often reflect the changes we see in nature. There are times when dramatic things and events occur in us, our families, our work, our beliefs and our education that are beautiful and colorful. New babies are born into your family several weeks early—priesthood blessings are given; you graduate with a Bachelor’s degree—you’ve accomplished your goal; your child’s team takes the state trophy home—their perseverance was rewarded; the missionaries come to your door and share the gospel of Jesus Christ—prayers are answered; you are offered a promotion at work—your wife to stay at home to nurture your young children.

Some of us are confident in our knowledge of who we are and we stand out at the edge of life leading those who follow. Others are timid and shy and blend in with the landscape. We don’t discover their full beauty until we travel deeper into the forest.

Sunrise on the eastern slope of Inspiration Point near Willard, UT

No matter the season of life we may be in, there are times when we feel deep despair—like all of our beautiful leaves have fallen and we are left bare to be whipped around by the cold winds of winter. Sometimes we are like the tree with the very last leaf clinging with all its might to the branch; not wanting to let go because we are afraid of what change may bring.

In 2 Nephi we read, “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”1

The last leaf falling—Brigham City, UT

We must remember that our lives can be renewed and blossom again after those disparaging times.

Like the Evergreen is in nature, the Savior is our constant in this world of change. We gain this knowledge as we read the scriptures. In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Helaman said,

“And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”2

We must focus on the Savior’s enduring guidance; each day finding nourishment and strength in His well of living water. As we focus on His guidance and draw upon the strength that it gives us, we can participate in all the changes of life without fear—with the reassurance that life will be renewed.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Marie really knows how to capture the reader's emotions as she envelops them into the mystery and romance of Madison's Gift. This story is a perfect blend of fully developed characters and plot. I couldn't wait to turn each page to see what happened next!

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Jill really knows her craft! She's taken her literary knowledge and love of reading to create robust, relatable characters and sent them on a fantasy adventure unlike any other. I was drawn in from the very beginning and felt like I was part of the story. Twists and turns engaged my imagination and brought the story to life. Jill has a talent for enlisting all of the reader's emotions as they join Liz, Curtis, Healer, Rob and iconic writers from the past to save the world from the evil dragon lord.

Saturday, October 21, 2017

This is not something you get to do every day, but what an amazing experience it was to be in a music video with such talented people. Alex Boye was super friendly and very down-to-earth. Since it was posted on YouTube it's had nearly 2,000,000 views! How cool is that? During the filming, I got to stand on the roof one of the oldest buildings on Main Street. If you’re wondering - yes, I’m afraid of heights!

The cherry on top of this great experience was performing at a concert with Alex to help raise money to renovate the building we filmed the video in.

Behind the scenes...

It's also been fun to be a model for products we test at work! Granted this shot is of the back of my head, but my hair looks great! And yes, it’s really me!

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Today I'd like to share an interview I recently had with Marie Higgins, co-author of The Witch Hunt: the first book in her Where Dreams Come True series.

What is your favorite part of the writing
process and why?

Not
only do I write romance, but I love to add a little (or a lot) of
mystery/suspense into my stories. For the past few years, this has been my
favorite part of my writing process. I love putting on my Sherlock Holmes hat
and trying to figure out the mystery and the villain’s motivation. I absolutely love throwing twists into the
story, too. This is what keeps me enthralled in my stories.

When did you decide you wanted to be an author?

Many
years ago I was an avid romance reader. And of course, I loved watching romance
movies. One particular movie was romantic—an unforbidden love—but in the end,
the hero and heroine did NOT end up together. I was so upset that this movie
hadn’t ended happy. That night I had a dream (which was very common for me at
this time) about a romance, and when I woke up, that was when I decided to
write my dream into a story. Most of my stories start that way now. Of course,
now I have to figure out how to turn my stories into movies…

Who has influenced your writing the most?

I
don’t think there has been just one person who influenced me. I give credit to
the author of the first romance novel that I read – Kathleen E Woodiwiss. The
book was “The Rose in Winter”. That hooked me on historical romances. But I
have a lot of author friends now, and they all have a little part of helping me
along the way.

You’re known for your romance writing, so what
made you venture into fantasy and fairy tales?

Most
of my romances were Cinderella type stories, anyway, so it wasn’t hard for me
to venture into writing a real Cinderella story. The first book that led me
into this direction was my YA Fantasy, “The Witch Hunt”. I had a dream one
night (see, I told you that usually starts my stories…) about children being
sucked into a book. I was so excited about this story—mainly because it was so
very different—that I realized I could turn this into a series and call it my
twisted fairy tale series. Instead, the series name is “Where Dreams Come
True”.

How did you decide on the title of this book?

It
was easy to find a title for this particular story. My twisted fairy tale is
about three teenagers who get sucked into a fairy tale book. The story they are
sucked into is about Hansel and Gretel. And, because Hansel and Gretel are
kidnapped by a witch… Plus, there are other twists that I won’t tell you about,
but believe me, “The Witch Hunt” is the perfect title!

Who is your favorite character in The Witch Hunt
and why?

Rick
Stevenson is my favorite. He and his sister are two of the characters in this
story. Rick is the dumb jock. Not that he’s really dumb, but he acts that way
to get attention. The jabs he and his sister give each other during the story
really crack me up. All of my characters learn something about themselves in
this story, and they all have to overcome one of their fears. I think Rick is
the one who has the best experience doing this, and his character grows so
much. I can’t help but smile when I think of him and the trials he goes through
in the story.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Do
NOT give up! If your dream is to become a writer, don’t let anything stop you.
Do all you can to achieve your goal.

Since Marie Higgins was a little girl playing
Barbies with her sister, Stacey, she has loved the adventure of making up
romantic stories. Marie was only eighteen years old when she wrote her first
skit, which won an award for Funniest. A little later in life, after she’d
married and had children, Marie wrote Church roadshows that were judged as
Funniest and Best Written. From there, she branched out to write full-length
novels based on her dreams. (Yes, she says, her dreams really are that silly)

Marie has been married for several years to a
wonderful man. Together, they have three loving daughters and several beautiful
grandchildren. Marie works full time for the state of Utah, and she’s lived in
that state her entire life. Marie plans to keep writing, because the characters
in her head won’t shut up. But her husband smiles and pretends this is normal.

Marie Higgins is a multi-published author of
romance; from refined bad-boy heroes who makes your heart melt to the feisty
heroines who somehow manage to love them regardless of their faults.

Dusti
Miller is an avid book adventurer, frequently traipsing through the written
worlds of heroes and villains alike. She enjoys putting ink on blank pages to
create worlds of her own and is on a quest to find her characters’ real-life
doppelgangers. So if you ever run into her and she wraps you in a bear hug
while calling you by one of her characters’ names… Just go with it. Dusti
lives with her husband and four children in the quaint little town of Malad,
Idaho.